DeMarco Murray’s advice to Ezekiel Elliott: Watch Jason Witten and be like him

The 2014 Cowboys averaged 4.6 yards per carry. The 2015 Cowboys averaged … 4.6 yards per carry. Murray, meanwhile, saw his production fall off a cliff in Philly before he was traded to the Tennessee Titans for a third-round pick this offseason.

After the Cowboys drafted Elliott, Murray had some words for advice for the player that will assume his former role:

On Thursday night, the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 14-6 at Chase Field, and while the comeback victory itself was an impressive one, it also was one that tied a team record that has stood for over 70 years.

That record is the longest road winning streak in the history of the franchise, as the Cubs’ win over the Diamondbacks was their 12th straight away from Wrigley Field. The streak is a carryover from last season, when the Cubs won their final nine road contests, and they’ve added to that total this year by winning their first three games to begin the new campaign.

With that in mind, it’s discouraging to see the Fire have not made similar strides, or really any at all from a results standpoint. The two road losses the Fire suffered last week dropped the team to 1-4-4 (7 points), the worst record in the league by three points. It matches the worst start in club history through nine matches.

But when Smith is healthy, what will his role be?

For that, J.B. Long and I on the Still Independent Podcast asked Dallas Morning News Cowboys Reporter Jon Machota for his analysis. There does appear to be a clear opening for Smith to start in 2017, provided his ACL, LCL and nerve are back to full strength.

Also in the podcast was a good discussion about Cowboys team physician Dr. Dan Cooper, who Smith (and Chicago Cubs catcher/outfielder Kyle Schwarber, who also tore his ACL and LCL in April) sought out to perform his surgery months before being drafted. There’s good news for Smith and Schwarber in there on Cooper’s success rate with surgeries and getting players back on the field after significant knee injuries.

Why the Cowboys won’t put Jaylon Smith on injured reserve

With all of the uncertainty surrounding Jaylon Smith’s surgically-repaired left knee, most don’t think the Cowboys’ second-round pick will play in 2016.

But Jerry Jones is remaining optimistic, revealing Thursday that Dallas won’t put Smith on the injured reserve to start the season.